<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>There With You by TheCowJumpedOverTheMoon</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23249191">There With You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCowJumpedOverTheMoon/pseuds/TheCowJumpedOverTheMoon'>TheCowJumpedOverTheMoon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Friends to Lovers, Gavin Reed Being Less of an Asshole, Gavin Reed Needs a Hug, Gavin Reed is Bad at Feelings, Gavin Reed is touch starved, Idiots in Love, LITERALLY, M/M, Nines is more pleasant than I usually write him in this, One Shot, Pining, QuarREEDtine, Quarantine, Social Isolation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:55:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23249191</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCowJumpedOverTheMoon/pseuds/TheCowJumpedOverTheMoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Title subject to change if I think of something better. </p><p>A QuaREEDtine fic for Michelle (ladytuonos) Reed900 fic challenge on Twitter. </p><p>Gavin ends up stuck at home in isolation when he gets a cough, and Nines is thrown in with him to stop him breaking the rules. What could possibly go wrong? (Read: everything).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connor/Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900 &amp; Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>There With You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It all started so gradually before skyrocketing and happening all at once, Gavin thought. It went from hearing about cases of a virus halfway across the globe to a nationwide lockdown in <i>his</i> country, idiots losing their shit buying out all of the pasta and toilet paper the supermarkets had. As a keeper of the peace, he had to deal with a lot of bullshit, but this? This took the cake. He went from investigating homicides to assisting with day to day beat cop work due to the staff shortages; he'd lost count of the number of fifty-something Karen's he'd had to talk to about bulk buying, or twenty-something Chad's who feigned ignorance over the new social isolation rules and strict curfew. Thank fuck for Nines, at least, who was able to keep a clearer head than him and stop him from losing his shit at these idiots. </p><p>He understood their frustration, sure, their panic, their fear. But the law was the law. Personally, Gavin thought it had all been blown <i>way</i> out of proportion, but there you go. He wasn't there to make the rules, he was there to uphold them. So when the persistent cough started, he ignored it. Too much shit to do, he couldn't get ill. Then the dizzy spells started catching him off guard, and all it took was Chris goddamn Miller mentioning it to Fowler and he was unceremoniously thrown into self-isolation for the next three weeks. His protesting did little to help his cause, but what made the whole thing so much goddamn fucking <i>worse</i> was the fact that he wasn't hopping into isolation alone - that stupid hunk of plastic, Nines, would be gracing him with his presence for the full duration. </p><p>"I don't want you pissing about and trying to leave your house when you're under strict orders to stay in!" Fowler had loudly proclaimed, prattling on about procedures and safety measures and <i>'reducing the spread'</i>. Gavin stopped listening pretty quickly because it was all just bullshit, he could look after himself and he'd be able to stay off work for three weeks, no <i>sweat</i>. Why the hell did he need a keeper?</p><p>By day three, he was close to shaving his hair off, throwing on some leather trousers and launching himself into the outside world with post-apocalyptic flair because this whole thing was just <i>bullshit</i>! He hated being stuck at home, he hated being unable to work. Fowler had promised him cases to work on after the second week, insisting he needed to rest before his return to work. The more he watched the news, the more he refreshed the live update feed on his phone, the more restless he got. To top it off, Nines wouldn't let him go outside, even for a smoke - and he wasn't letting him light up inside either. It was his goddamn house! </p><p>The first time he'd tried to make a break for the outside was on day five, after spending the majority of days three and four concocting a plan to divert Nines attention while he snuck out. Needless to say, it failed before he even had the chance to throw on his shoes. </p><p>On the sixth day, he made a run for it. He got as far as the hall before Nines body tackled him to the ground. </p><p>On the seventh day, he discovered Nines had added four additional industrial grade padlocks to the door. </p><p>Later that day, the windows were boarded up. It was like he was living in a fucking zombie apocalypse and Nines was protecting him from the outbreak, but that absolutely was not what was happening. After a few hours, he started wondering if maybe zombies <i>were</i> involved - he hadn't seen anything on the news, but the government could have lied, right? The situation <i>could</i> have worsened in the last few days. Maybe Nines <i>was</i> protecting him from zombies. </p><p>"I know what you're thinking," Nines started, interrupting his thought process. "But I can assure you, there are <i>no</i> zombies. I just need to ensure that you remain safely inside the premises until the virus has passed through your system and you are no longer at risk of further infection." </p><p>How the fuckin' Tincan had figured that out he didn't know, so Gavin just grunted in approval, or acknowledgment, he wasn't really sure. No use giving the robot any positive affirmation, he didn't want him thinking they were friends or anything like that. They were colleagues. Colleagues who got on fine, for the most part. But Gavin never brought colleagues into his home or into his personal life, so this whole situation was ruining his perfectly crafted private life that he'd desperately sought to keep just that - <i>private</i>. </p><p>He didn't need Nines spilling his guts to the rest of the precinct when he returned. Didn't need them finding out about the three cats he owned, nor that they were named after <i>The Golden Girls</i>. He didn't need Nines sharing that he had a substantial classic literature collection, or that he had watched <i>A Muppets Christmas Carol</i> not once, but <i>twice</i> since being in quarantine (it was July). And if Nines let people know that Gavin had shed a few years at <i>Pride &amp; Prejudice</i>, then he'd be scrap metal before he knew it. </p><p>"Why don't we watch another film today?" The android soothed, clearly sensing his impending bad mood (but honestly - when wasn't he in a bad mood?). Gavin grunted another acknowledgement. "What would you like to watch today? Another period drama?" </p><p>"Why don't you choose." Gavin grunted, throwing the controller at the android, who caught it in his hands with lightning precision as he took a seat on the couch. Nines eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, and he lowered himself to take a seat beside him. He started flicking through the titles on the streaming service with the remote; he could do that with his mind of course, but Gavin had scolded him over it and he seemed taken aback by it, so now opted to do things 'the human way'. Gavin was pleased he'd listened to him on that one. <i>Freaky</i> shit. </p><p>"Have you seen this one?" He pointed at the screen.</p><p>"Course I've seen <i>Fight Club</i> 'ya dipshit," </p><p>"Normally I would suggest another film, but based on your frequent re-watches of the <i>Muppet Christmas</i> film, can I assume you're not adverse to watching it again?" He cast him a hard look with no emotion. Gavin sighed, and grabbed the controller from him, pressing play. </p><p>The film played without incident - Nines asked the occasional question, or made the occasional remark. Thank god Gavin had already seen it, because Nines proudly confirmed the plot twist within two minutes of the film starting - so much for the element of surprise. Still, he did seem to enjoy it, and there was something about the act of watching a film that got the two talking a bit more. Soon enough, Gavin was making less threats to break out, and Nines was making less threats on his person as a result. It was a win-win. </p><p>By day nine, they'd come to a comfortable stalemate. Nines wished Gavin good morning when he woke, although he naturally continued to make snide comments whenever he rose later than 8am (most days). In turn, Gavin would make conversation and Nines would show a genuine interest in him in return. They talked about the films Gavin liked, the books he read, and eventually Nines caved and watched a few episodes of <i>The Golden Girls</i> with Gavin. The cats even started to take a liking to the android, fighting one another for his affection and for the coveted spot on his lap whenever the men chose to watch something on TV. Blanche was more often than not the victor. </p><p>Gavin found the whole thing weird, if he was being honest with himself. Not only were the cats completely blanking him (<i>rude</i>), but the android could hardly even be comfortable, let alone warm. He assumed that Nines was a solid object with cold hands, right until one of his hands grazed his own when passing him a tin of cat food one day. Warm. <i>Huh</i>. </p><p>Nines started reading some of Gavin's classic's; he focused on reading things at a human pace after Gavin shouted at him for powering through <i>Sense &amp; Sensibility</i> in under fifteen minutes. Android or not, there was no way he'd be able to take in the plot, it's characters and all of its complexities in that time. Plus, he'd marathon through his book collection in no time, and what was the fun in that? </p><p>Gavin often found himself casting his mind back to the time Nines had decked him in the hall when he'd tried to make a run for the door - had he noticed the feeling of Nines body then? Was it solid, was it soft? He couldn't remember, but something about it <i>bugged</i> him. He had to know for sure. He wasn't sure <i>why</i> he had to know, he just did. </p><p>So he made an effort to find ways to get Nines to touch him. It took some effort, because Gavin was a cold bastard and Nines was even colder, but he made a few successful attempts. The first was a poke in the ribs when Nines was talking about his enjoyment of the Jane Austen novels he'd been reading, Gavin chuckled and told him he was a hopeless romantic, and poked him in the ribs. Nines just stared down at his own form like he'd been burned. Gavin's first thought was that it <i>seemed</i> soft, his finger seemed to reach into soft skin like it would if he'd prodded any human in the ribs. A good start.</p><p>The second time was a pat on the back that lingered a bit too long, but neither one commented on it. </p><p>The third time was when they were cooking dinner together. Nines didn't eat, but he was a competent cook and seemed willing to help, and Gavin was hardly going to turn down help when he himself hated cooking. Growing bored of the whole activity, he gave Nines a playful shove in his shoulder. Firm muscle underneath greeted him. Nines stared at him for a moment, seemingly dumbfounded, before shoving him back. Gavin, of course, returned the favour with a firmer shove, this time turning his body and using both hands to forcefully shove Nines away from the stove. The android simply shot him a smirk, before grasping at Gavin's shoulders and pushing him further back into the kitchen, pinning him against the side. Gavin shook him back, and the two scuffled for a moment until Nines grasped at his waist and dug his thumbs deep into the skin, enough to bruise, and Gavin froze on the spot, shooting his head up to look at the android who held him so firmly in his place. </p><p>"I think you might be going a little stir-crazy," Nines murmured just inches away from his ear, the low tone of his voice setting Gavin on edge, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling instinctively. "You seem preoccupied with getting my attention lately." </p><p>"Think you're looking too much into it," Gavin replied hoarsely, heart thumping in his chest as Nines slid a leg in between his own to further hold him in his place. This was <i>dangerous</i> territory. </p><p>"Am I?" The android purred, the smooth, low tone of his voice sending a shiver up Gavin's spine. "It seems to me you're awfully lonely." </p><p>Gavin balked a laugh. "I'm <i>not</i> lonely." Nines shot him a firm stare and Gavin's voice hardened. "I'm <i>not</i>." </p><p>"You've been seeking out my touch for <i>days</i>, Gavin, don't try to deny it." Gavin went to open his mouth to protest but the android removed a hand from his hip and Gavin was instantly thankful for the firm pressure leaving his waist until the same hand covered his mouth, preventing him from speaking. He could feel Nines synth skin across his lips and his cheeks and it was soft, soft, <i>soft</i>. He felt his knees beginning to buckle. </p><p>"I can only assume that the social isolation is getting to you. You're hardly the most <i>socially amicable</i> of humans, but even so you still have daily interactions to satisfy that loneliness. And the physical element, of course, cannot be understated - even a pat on the shoulder from a colleague is probably something you'd crave more than anything right now. Do you disagree?" He glanced down at the Detective, but did not remove his hand. Gavin remained silent. "As I thought. Now, I have no doubt that you're under the impression that this is mere curiosity on your part, but I'm of much higher intellect than you and I'm able to see it for what it is. You're lonely, and you crave affection. Tell me I'm wrong."</p><p>This time - the android lifted his hand from Gavin's face, removing it entirely. He tilted his head to the side slightly and peered at him, a curious expression on his face, as he waited for a response. He waited another moment, before speaking again. "No?" </p><p>Gavin huffed, pulling his arms across his chest, looking away. "No." </p><p>"Then we're in agreement. That's good. Look, Gavin…" Nines moved his hand to his upper arm, squeezing it slightly, and this caused Gavin to look back at him. His expression was...different, somehow. Softer. "I suspect there's more to this than you'd like to admit. Trust me when I say I'm already there with you. I have been for some time now. But I'll wait for you to come to those conclusions yourself. For now though, I'll try to accommodate your need for physical affection. Can I hug you?" </p><p>More to this…<i>what?</i> Gavin felt like all of the air had been punched out of his lungs but amidst his confusion, he nodded, and the android pulled him into a firm embrace, wrapping his arms around him and pulling his face into his chest. Gavin couldn't help but melt to the touch, and ah, yeah, he <i>was</i> soft, <i>so</i> soft. He found his hands creeping up the androids back to return the embrace, fingers gripping into the folds of the fabric of his stupid, dumb, Cyberlufe issued jacket. But ah, that warmth, the feeling of Nines pressing into him was almost unbearable. He felt a smile creep to his lips. But before he had the chance to begin thinking about Nines words, he was cut off by a sudden thought. </p><p>"Shit! Nines, the food-" Gavin dropped his hands and went to move towards the stove but was pulled back in by strong, insistent arms. </p><p>"It's fine, I've already turned it off remotely." He whispered. </p><p>"Jesus. Insistent much?" Gavin mumbled into the androids chest. Soon enough, Nines pulled back, brushing his jacket down as though Gavin was dirty. And sure, maybe he hadn't had a shower today, but even so…</p><p>"All you need to do in future is ask, Detective." And with that, Nines turned the hob back on, his LED spinning a cool blue as the flame sparked on underneath the pan. </p><p>It would be a few more days before Gavin figured it out, a few more days before he would crowd into Nines space and grab at the collar of his jacket, pulling him into a searing, passionate kiss. It wouldn't be much longer until Gavin found himself ripping that stupid jacket from the androids body, marking any exposed skin with his teeth, Nines hurling him into the bedroom as he muttered, "Finally, Detective," with a smirk. </p><p>But they had a few more days to figure that out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Howdy! So this was for the Reed900 quarantine challenge - something quick and fun to get my writing juices going when I really should be finishing my other fic but eh, when inspiration hits, what can you do? 🤷♀️</p><p>As always, comments, kudos, subs etc are appreciated! Feel free to follow me over on Twitter at @luminousfurby </p><p>Take a look at the challenge and the other entries in the comments here - https://twitter.com/ladytuono/status/1241131348070469635?s=19</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>